The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-09-17
SAILED In A STIFF BLOW.
THE VOLUNTEER BEATS THE May
FLOWER BY TWENTY MINUTES.


SANDY Hook, Sept 16-The first of the
trial races between the Boston sloops May
flower and Volunteer was sailed to-day.
The Mayflower is now owned in New York,
but she is still regarded as Boston boat.
At O'cloc.i this morning il looked aa
though it would be glorious day for the
race. The wind blew a perfect gale all
night. and at daylight was bowling through
the rigging of the Thistle at the rate Of
twenty-five miles an hour The Thistle
was all ready to follow the racers over the
course, and at S o'clock was standing out
toward the lightship, where the start was
to be made
NATURE OF THE RACE.
The race was twenty miles to leeward and
return. The Volunteer and Mayflower
passed out by Sandy Hook at $40 o'clock
They were still III tow, but were preparing
to hoist their canvass. The Thistle was sail
ing close behind them as they passed the
Hook. She had her whole mainsail set, and
| rolled great deal in the heavy sea. She
| lugged the same old dingy behind The
wind was then blowing from the west north
west at the rate of thirty-two miles an
| hour
The tug boat cast off the lines which held
her to the Volunteer and the Mayflower at
| 9:iS o'clock.
A SCHOONER BEATS THE THISTLE.
The racers were then nearing the light
ship, and had their whole mainsails, fore
staysails and jibs set, with their jbtopsails
in stop. Only few excursion boats were
then assembled at the starting point, but a
number were coming down the bay. An
interesting clinch took place between the
Thistle and schooner N. L. Lockwood ON the
way out to the lightShip in which the Lock-
wood showed that the Scotch visitors speed
is greatly overestimated. The Lockwood
at Romer beacon was a mile and half be-
hind the Thistle She gradually overhauled
the foreigner until finally off the bar both
vessels were sailing on even terms There
is no question but that the Thistle was sailed
for all she was worth, as her sails were full
at the time
THE START.
The flagship Electra reached the lightshiu
at 1918 o'clock, and, taking up her position,
drew an imaginary line. The wind had
gone down little, and the dial at the OBJ
servatory registered twenty-four miles The
Mayfower and Volunteer were then beat
ing around to the north of the flagship,
awaiting the preparatory signal. The start
ing signal was given at 30 o'clock. The
Volunteer crossed the line first at IL IL :45,
and the Mayilower at ii lass. Jay Goulds
| Atalanta also passed out to ac-
|
| of the course which was to leeward
The Thistle took her spinnaker in at II 80
| O'clock and allowed the boom to rest on the
port side The main boom was to the star
board Notwithstanding the absence of the
large spinnaker, the Thistle appeared to
hold right on to the two American racers.
The Volunteer at II o'clock was little over
a mile ahead, and to the south of the May
flower, and the Thistle was to the south Of
the steel sloop. The wind at that time was
blowing twenty miles an hour, and the
racers were dashing through a cross-choppy
sea. At 12:l5 O'Clock the Volunteer was
gaining steadily on the Mayflower, and the
Thistle was fast falling behind. She is now
sailing with her spinnaker set. All three
yachts are steering southeast
WENT OFF LIKE RACE HORSES.
The Volunteer broke out her spinnaker
on the starting line. The Mayflower fol-
lowed her example minute before crossing.
They had the mainsail, club topSail fore
staysail, jib and spinnaker set, and started
off like race horses, with their booms to star
board and spinnakers 10 port. The Thistle,
which had been in the south of the starting
line, started two minutes after the May
flower, but did not set her spinnaker for
eight minutes after starting The Volun-
teer, at / / 80 o'clock was leading by nearly
three quarters of mile. The wind was
then still from the west northwest, and the
yachts laid a straight course out of east
southeast.
At 1925 o'clock the positions of the yachts
were unchanged. The Volunteer was still
over a mile ahead. The Thistle had assumed
third place. All three Of the yachts took in
their spinnakers at 1905 o'clock, and were
then heading due east. The wind was from
the northwest and falling slightly. The
Volunteer jibed her boom over TO the port
at 1918 O'Clock, and at 1890 O'Clock wss s~
the starboard tack, heading for shore. The
Mayfower went about on the same tack at
1921 O'Clock. The Thistle still kept her
course.
At l2:35 o'clock both yachts were still on
the starboard tack, heading down the Jersey
coast. The Volunteer was two miles ahead
but the Mayfiower was TO windward
IL now looked as IL the boats were sailing
a triangular course, having turned the stake
boat off Long Branch. 1t was hazy Off
shore and great deal could not be seen.
A TRIANGULAR COURSE.
There was a strong wind blowing from
north to north northwest all day. It
reached velocity of thirty miles an hour.
Added TO the splendid conditions of the
elements was the excellent judg-
ment of the committee, who de-
cided after the yachts got under
way that triangular race should be sailed.
That decision gave the Contestants a course
Oh JllFb1 -tlbub DliitH 10 ntii ONtfs htbu Iud
wind on every hand. They had a run 70
leeward of ten miles, a stretch of nine milk.
and return and a beat for home Of ten mil6-
At every turn and in every weather, except
during the first part Of the run
10 leeward, when the Mayfower
sailed better than the Volunteer,
the latter beat her opponent. The outcome
Of the days race was that the Volunteer
was chosen by the Americas Cup Commit
tee, who judged the event from the flagship.
The Electra Is 10 meet the Thistle in an in
ternational contest. The sThistle was out
too, but her handling was of such kind
during the first half of the race as 20 give
no idea of what she could do. After that she
was evidently sailed for all she was worth.
With a foul bottom and under other bad CON
ditions she was outsailed BY both the May
flower and Volunteer. The official table Of
figures made by the judges was as follows
Start Ffnfsh Elapsed Time
Volunteer. . ii.ll.N 3:i2.fo is 4:2O;f9 IL
Mayfiower ...il.ii:B 3:5i;Sf as 1891 IS
There was so CORRECTED time figured as
neither yacht had been measured aud as the
time allowance would have probably been
less than a minute, the result could not have
been effected
A Mortgage for S2,6ooooo.
NaaugfFru TfDar Scot "a ...n,f.F